Case Reports
. 2023 Jun 16;2023(6):rjad341.
doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjad341.
eCollection 2023 Jun.
Affiliations
Affiliations
- 1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita, Wichita, KS, USA.
- 2 University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita, Wichita, KS, USA.
Item in Clipboard
Case Reports
Brendan P Mitchell et al.
J Surg Case Rep.
.
Display options
Format
. 2023 Jun 16;2023(6):rjad341.
doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjad341.
eCollection 2023 Jun.
Affiliations
- 1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita, Wichita, KS, USA.
- 2 University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita, Wichita, KS, USA.
Item in Clipboard
Display options
Format
Abstract
Neurologic deficit after lumbar spine surgery is a rare and serious complication that must be promptly diagnosed and treated to avoid long-term neurologic disability. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is an effective technique for the treatment of recurrent disc herniation and lumbar disc degeneration. This case report describes a 20-year-old female with L5-S1 recurrent disc herniation and lumbar degeneration. She underwent an L5-S1 ALIF complicated by post-operative lower left extremity paralysis. Revision surgery with downsizing of the ALIF cage was performed with normal neuromonitoring throughout the procedure. The patient displayed persistent post-operative neurologic deficits despite no evidence of central or foraminal compression. Patient was later diagnosed with conversion disorder by neurology during her hospitalization. This case report presents the initial diagnosis of conversion disorder after a routine ALIF procedure, which led to surgical re-exploration and prolonged inpatient hospital stay. Psychiatric diagnoses must be considered when neurologic deficits are present with no apparent organic cause.
Keywords:
anterior lumbar interbody fusion; conversion disorder; lumbar fusion; post-operative neurologic deficit.
Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. © The Author(s) 2023.
Conflict of interest statement
Cite